Morning Edition

Monday - Friday, 5am - 9am

Steve Inskeep, Renee Montagne
Bob Leweke

Waking up is hard to do, but it's easier with NPR's Morning Edition. National hosts Renée Montagne and Steve Inskeep, and local host Bob Leweke, bring the day's stories and news to radio listeners on the go. Morning Edition provides news in context, airs thoughtful ideas and commentary, and reviews important new music, books, and events in the arts. All with voices and sounds that invite you to experience the stories.

On any given day, topics may include reports on the Supreme Court from Nina Totenberg; education from Claudio Sanchez; health coverage from Joanne Silberner; and the latest on national security from Tom Gjelten. Steve and Renee interview newsmakers: from politicians, to academics, to filmmakers. In-depth stories explore topics like "digital generations" about the effect of technology on the way we live; special series delve into the intersection of science and art, and discover the untold stories of the country's Hidden Kitchens.

Morning Edition, it's a world of ideas tailored to fit into your busy life.

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Rare 'Superman' Comic Sells For Big Bucks

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The comic, featuring Superman's first appearance, sold for $175,000 this week. Considered the "Holy Grail" of comics by many collectors, it is one of about 100 copies. Published in 1938, the comic was found by David Gonzalez in the insulation of a house he was restoring in Minnesota.

Parallels

6:02 am

Thu June 13, 2013

Iran's Election May Not Really Be About Picking A President

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Credit Vahid Salemi / AP

Female supporters of Iranian presidential candidate Saeed Jalili, Iran's top nuclear negotiator, hold up posters and national flags at a campaign rally in Tehran, Iran, on May 24. Jalili advocates for traditional roles for women and resistance against the U.S.

Credit Nishant Dahiya / NPR

Seyid Amir, a political science student at Tehran University, a campaign worker for Jalili. Amir says that, "Working for Mr. Jalili is like working for God."

Credit Office of the Supreme Leader / AP

Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei delivers a speech in a ceremony marking the anniversary of the death of the late revolutionary founder Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, shown in the picture in background, at his shrine just outside Tehran, Iran on June 4.

Credit Steve Inskeep / NPR

Khomeini, the former supreme leader, watches over pilgrims praying at the husseiniya, or Shiite place of worship, where he used to preach.

By Steve Inskeep

Originally published on Thu June 13, 2013 9:55 am

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When Iranians vote Friday for president, it will be an election unlike any other.

Clerics who hold supreme power in the Islamic Republic have allowed elections for decades.

But while the people vote, clerics and their allies make the rules. Those already in power choose who can run for office and limit what they do if elected.

Restrictions are tighter than ever after massive protests that followed a disputed election in 2009. In fact, the country has come to redefine the whole purpose of an election.

4:34 am

Thu June 13, 2013

Fancy Feet: Wild Cheetahs Excel At Acceleration

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Credit Kevin Clifford / AP

Moyo, a 3-year-old male cheetah from South Africa, chases a lure during the Cheetah Dash event at the Animal Ark in Reno, Nev.

Credit Karel Prinsloo / AP

On Your Mark: Olympic champion sprinter Usain Bolt holds a three-month-old cheetah cub that he named Lightning Bolt, after adopting the cub at the headquarters of the Kenyan Wildlife Service in 2009. Researchers studying cheetah movements found the animals had incredible acceleration — four times more than that of Bolt's world record run.

By editor

Originally published on Thu June 13, 2013 6:02 am

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Nature documentaries always go on and on about how fast a cheetah can run. Cats in captivity have been clocked at 65 miles an hour, the highest speed recorded for any land animal.

And yet, scientists know very little about how the animal runs in the wild, especially when on the hunt.

"You can look at it and say, 'Oh that's fast,' " says Alan Wilson, a veterinarian at the Royal Veterinary College, London. "But you can't actually describe what route it follows, or how quickly it's gone, or the details of [the] forces it has to exert to do that."

4:33 am

Thu June 13, 2013

From Seinfeld, A Second Season Of 'Coffee' Talk

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Credit Bryan Bedder / Getty Images

Jerry Seinfeld won a 2013 Webby Award for Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee.

Credit AP

Seinfeld reunited with former co-star Michael Richards — his semi-deranged across-the-hall neighbor on Seinfeld — for the show's first-season finale.

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Originally published on Thu June 13, 2013 11:01 am

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Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee is exactly what it sounds like — a show about three things Jerry Seinfeld loves.

Each individual episode of the stand-up comic's Web series features him talking to a fellow comedian while driving across town to get a cup of coffee.

While the premise is simple enough, and the celebrity interview as familiar as any late-night talk-show, the format of C3 allows for a more relaxed and personal tone than the typical sofa-chat format.

4:28 am

Thu June 13, 2013

Once Home To A Dreaded Drug Lord, Medellin Now A Model City

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Credit Paul Smith for NPR

Colombian army soldiers patrol Medellin's Loma de Cristobal neighborhood after warring gangs forced dozens of families to flee. Medellin used to be the most dangerous city in the world, but officials embarked on innovative projects designed to make life better in tough neighborhoods.

Credit Paul Smith for NPR

A double homicide in the neighborhood known as Beln in Medellin's southwest is marked by bloodstains. While the homicide rate has dropped by 80 percent, Medellin is not crime-free.

Credit Paul Smith for NPR

Mara de Los Angeles Posada, 75, left her home in the Loma de Cristobal neighborhood because of warring gangs. On her return she wonders when the violence will flare again after the army leaves.

Credit Paul Smith for NPR

Boys play soccer in front of one of the new schools built by the city to improve the troubled Comuna 13 district.

Credit Paul Smith for NPR

Gondolas that are perched high on steep mountains have been installed to connect Medellin's poorest neighborhoods.

Credit Paul Smith for NPR

Electric escalators have been installed in Comuna 13 to ease the commute for people who live high in its upper reaches.

Credit Paul Smith for NPR

Residents of Loma de Cristobal say they are happy to see troops patrolling their neighborhood and wonder if the sector will remain safe once they leave.

Credit Paul Smith for NPR

Colombian army soldiers patrol the Loma de Cristobal neighborhood after warring gangs forced dozens of families to flee. Medellin used to be the most dangerous city in the world but officials embarked on innovative projects designed to make life better in tough neighborhoods.

Credit Paul Smith for NPR

The cable-car system moves tens of thousands of people each day, connecting them to a modern metro.

Credit Paul Smith for NPR

Aníbal Gaviria, the mayor of Medellin, says his city has undergone a dramatic transformation that is a model for Latin America.

By editor

Originally published on Thu June 13, 2013 8:54 pm

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Of all the violent cities of Latin America, one stands out as a great success story: Medellin, a metropolis nestled in the mountains of northwest Colombia.

Once the home of the cocaine kingpin Pablo Escobar, it recorded more than 6,300 homicides in 1991, making it the world's murder capital. Then, one city government after another built schools and libraries, parks and infrastructure. The police also received an overhaul and became more adept at going after violent trafficking groups.

7:23 am

Wed June 12, 2013

Stuck On The Tarmac, Passengers Break Into Song

By editor

Originally published on Thu June 13, 2013 5:53 am

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Transcript

RENEE MONTAGNE, HOST:

Good morning. I'm Renee Montagne. A flight from Las Vegas to Phoenix this week was delayed and delayed, passengers stuck on the tarmac for four hours without air conditioning or water in 108-degree heat. A YouTube post said some passengers got sick, but, quote, to "avoid a mutiny," others joined together in song: R. Kelly's "I Believe I Can Fly."

UNIDENTIFIED GROUP: (Singing) I believe I can fly.

(LAUGHTER)

7:14 am

Wed June 12, 2013

Couple Celebrates Annivesary With Trip To Maine's Capitol

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Originally published on Thu June 13, 2013 5:53 am

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Transcript

LINDA WERTHEIMER, HOST:

Good morning, I'm Linda Wertheimer.

Marcine and Nita Lou Webb marked 65 years of marriage with a trip to Augusta, Maine, completing a mission to visit all 50 state capitals. Asked how Maine's capitol building compared to the others, Marcine gave it a medium, but high marks for friendly atmosphere. When they went to the gallery to see a debate, the House speaker recognized them and the legislators gave them a standing O.

It's MORNING EDITION. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.

Politics

4:41 am

Wed June 12, 2013

Obama Urges Congress Not To 'Block' Immigration Bill

By Scott Horsley

Originally published on Thu June 13, 2013 5:53 am

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Transcript

LINDA WERTHEIMER, HOST:

It's MORNING EDITION, from NPR News. I'm Linda Wertheimer.

RENEE MONTAGNE, HOST:

And I'm Renee Montagne. The U.S. Senate has opened debate on a sweeping immigration bill. And President Obama says it's the best chance in years to fix what he calls a broken immigration system. The measure took a step forward yesterday when a big, bipartisan majority of senators voted to take up the bill. But it still faces serious obstacles, as NPR's Scott Horsley reports.

4:41 am

Wed June 12, 2013

Google Acquires Israeli Mapping Service Waze

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Originally published on Thu June 13, 2013 5:53 am

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RENEE MONTAGNE, HOST:

And Google has announced it is buying Waze, a community-based traffic and navigation app, for a reported price of just over a billion dollars.

LINDA WERTHEIMER, HOST:

NPR's Wendy Kaufman reports it may change the way we travel.

WENDY KAUFMAN, BYLINE: Google hopes its latest acquisition will make your morning commute easier, faster and more social.

While other traffic apps are somewhat passive, Waze tracks mobile devices as they travel, and uses that information to help analyze traffic speeds and flow.

4:41 am

Wed June 12, 2013

Technology Columnist Sheds A Light On New Bulbs

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Originally published on Thu June 13, 2013 5:53 am

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Transcript

LINDA WERTHEIMER, HOST:

Buying a light bulb it's not as simple as it used to be. You're not just choosing between 100 watts and 75 watts, between three-way and one-way. Now you can choose light bulbs that will save you quite a bit of money and use less power. There are now bulbs that don't get hot, and you can pick a bulb that might last longer than you do.

Technology columnist Rich Jaroslovsky, at Bloomberg News, has been trying out the new bulbs and will enlighten us. Good morning, Rich.

RICH JAROSLOVSKY: Good morning.

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7:03 am

Thu June 13, 2013